


A Not-So-Secret Admirer

by Amertsi



Series: ChitoVice [1]
Category: Dragalia Lost (Video Game)
Genre: Love Confessions, M/M, Orion cameos because I love him, Valentine's Day, over 6000 words of Vice having a gay panic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:55:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22858099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amertsi/pseuds/Amertsi
Summary: Vice doesn't believe in Valentine's Day. It's all just a waste of time for an assassin like him. But when he receives a Valentine's gift from a secret admirer, his world is turned upside down, for several reasons. One of those reasons being that the secret admirer is really obviously Chitose, and he really has no clue what to do about it.A very late Valentine's Day fic.
Relationships: Vice/Chitose (Dragalia Lost)
Series: ChitoVice [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1662370
Comments: 11
Kudos: 32





	A Not-So-Secret Admirer

**Author's Note:**

> Yes I know it's over a week since Valentine's but time is a concept and I do what I want. Also, there was no tag for Chitose before this fic, and now there is. There was also, subsequently, no tag for this ship. So, you're welcome. Happy Valentine's Day.

Vice didn’t really care for Valentine’s Day. In his mind, it was just a day of distraction, a day for people to needlessly spend money to tell people they loved them in unnecessary ways. Why buy flowers and gifts on this day in particular when you could do so on any day of the year? It just didn’t make sense to him, and he wasn’t about to spend time trying to unravel its mysteries. No, he’d not even spare one moment for Valentine’s Day, not even a thought.

Well, that had been his plan, at least.

When he awoke on that fateful day, Vice did everything the same. He got dressed, polished his knives, made sure every piece of his outfit was accounted for. And then, just as he was about to head out to help Cleo with breakfast, he was brought to a pause. 

There, on the small table in his room, was a tiny box. 

His first instinct was to go on the defensive. Who had left this box? Was it a trap? How’d they get into his room without him noticing? They would have had to sneak in while he was asleep, but Vice was a light sleeper. Who could have so easily gotten past his defenses? All these thoughts and more trailed through his mind as he cautiously approached the box. 

As soon as he got a better look, the assassin relaxed slightly, but not entirely. Tied to the box with a pink ribbon was a tag that simply read “To my Valentine” along with a heart. Vice scoffed. Clearly, this was some kind of prank. If he opened it, he’d probably get an explosion of something or other in his face. Besides, even if it were a real gift, he didn’t care one bit about Valentine’s. With a roll of his eyes, he turned to head out. 

...But surely it couldn’t hurt to find out who it was from, right? Vice groaned at himself as he turned back around, snatching the box off the table with a grumble. Whoever’s prank this was (probably Luca’s) was going to pay for making him late for breakfast duties. 

The ribbon was torn off, as was the wrapping paper, both falling to the floor as he opened the box to find... chocolate? 

Okay, so it wasn’t a prank. Someone had actually given him chocolates on Valentine’s Day. Vice supposed it was nice, but like he’d decided before, he could care less about this holiday. And besides, an assassin couldn’t let things like feelings get in the way of his job. Whoever it was would just have to deal with that fact and not expect him to return the favor. 

As he set the box down, though, Vice noticed a folded up paper that had fluttered to the desk. He picked it up with a frown. It seemed to be a note. At first, he thought about throwing it away. After all, it didn’t matter what the contents were. In the end, he couldn’t return the affections of whoever sent this. 

...Whoever had left it though had snuck into his room in the middle of the night without him noticing it, though. At the very least, he could read the note as an acknowledgement of their skills.

Sighing to himself and thinking this was all ridiculous, Vice opened the note. Inside was a short message, written in cutesy handwriting.

_ Thanks for always being my hero. :) _

_ From, Your Secret Admirer <3 _

Vice stared at the note. He stared, read it again, then stared some more. Really, it was a pretty standard note, exactly what you’d imagine might be in a secret Valentine’s Day gift. That wasn’t why he stared. 

_ This is so very obviously Chitose’s handwriting. _

Very slowly, Vice set the note down. 

The chocolates were from Chitose?  _ That _ Chitose? The self proclaimed cutest boy in the land, and definitely the cutest person Vice knew? Not that he’d ever admit it. This... hadn’t been what he’d expected. If the note had been from someone he didn’t know well, or if he hadn’t been able to figure out who it was from, he would have moved on with his day. Hell, even if one of his ninja squad had left him the chocolates, he still would have kindly turned them down. But this was  _ Chitose _ . Cute, bubbly, sunshiney Chitose.

Wait, why did it matter if the note was from Chitose? Vice couldn’t afford to get wrapped up in things like emotions and feelings. He’d told Chitose once before; an assassin relied on logic. And besides, maybe this was one of those friendship type Valentine’s. He’d heard about how last year several people got together to display their gratitude towards the Prince. Yeah, it was probably just like that. After all, he had come to Chitose’s aid many times already. 

His mind wandered to those times. Chitose had just run off, full of courage, but oh so very rash. Vice could remember being frightened out of his mind when he’d found Chitose collapsed in that alley. If anything had happened to him...

“Aaaagh, I don’t have time for this!” Vice yelled at no one in particular, snatching up the box of chocolates and shoving the lid back on. At this point, he was very late for breakfast duties. Cleo was going to give him an earful. Grumbling, he shoved the box and the note into his pocket. 

He might not know anything about Valentine’s Day, but there were definitely others who did. Perhaps they could give their input on the situation.

* * *

“You’re late. That’s quite unlike you.”

Vice sighed as he threw on his apron, hurrying into the kitchen to help with the rest of breakfast. “I know. Sorry. Something came up. It definitely won’t happen again, promise.”

Cleo gave him a curious look from where she stood peeling various vegetables. “If it was enough to make you late, it must have been quite the event.”

“I guess...” Vice began to chop the vegetables Cleo had finished peeling. He was quiet for a moment before speaking again. “Hey, Cleo, you helped out with the Valentine’s Day stuff last year, right?” 

Cleo hesitated slightly. “Ah... yes, I did. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, no reason, it’s just...” The box in his pocket felt heavy all of a sudden. “...If you found a box of chocolates left in your room on Valentine’s Day from an apparent “secret admirer,” what would you think?”

Cleo’s peeling stopped all together, and she gave Vice a look. “...Vice. Did you get a gift?”

For reasons unbeknownst to him, Vice’s entire face went red. “I-I-It’s just hypothetical!” He chopped furiously at the potato in front of him. “...But say you knew who it was from, even though they didn’t sign it. What would you think? Would you think it’s just to thank you for things you’ve done for them? Or a-- a...” He trailed off. The potato was getting very thoroughly chopped. 

When Cleo spoke again, Vice could practically hear the smile in her voice. “Hm... Well, in this “hypothetical” situation, I suppose it would depend on the context. I would think that if it were just a friend trying to express gratitude to me, they would not sign it as a secret admirer. Doing so carries the connotation of romance and hidden feelings, wouldn’t you say?”

“I was afraid you’d say that...”

Cleo laughed softly, and Vice wished very much to disappear. “Vice, whoever it was that left you-- ah,  _ hypothetically _ left you this note, I think they must truly care a lot about you. Even if you cannot return their feelings, you ought to at least thank them.”

“Ugh, I know, I know...!” The now very chopped potato was pushed aside, and he grabbed another. “I just... I don’t know what to do. What if I hurt his feelings by turning him down? I couldn’t do that. And what if I don’t--”

_...What if I don’t know if I even want to turn him down or not? _

A silence fell over him, his knife paused in midair. Was that what it was? He was so caught up by this because he couldn’t fully commit to turning Chitose down. That thought alone brought up an entire slew of problems that Vice wasn’t certain he was ready to face. Just as his mind was about to go into overload though, he was pulled back to reality by Cleo’s hand upon his arm. He turned to look at her, and she offered him a small smile.

“If you’re still uncertain of what to do, don’t worry. I think your secret admirer is uncertain as well.”

Vice blinked, confused. “Huh?”

“If they were completely confident in telling you their feelings, they would have signed their name, correct? Even if you can tell who it is, they themselves aren’t fully ready to face their feelings, either. It seems to me that you both need some time to sort yourselves out before coming to any conclusions, first.”

Something about Cleo’s tone was enough to allow Vice to relax, at least somewhat. Slowly, he nodded. “I... I guess you’re right...” 

“Oh, I’m quite certain I’m right.” Cleo stepped back to her work, nodding at Vice’s half chopped potato. “Now, let’s continue, shall we? Breakfast won’t make itself.”

After breakfast was served and plates were cleared, Vice found a spot in the garden to simply sit and think. The box of chocolates sat in one hand, the note in the other. No matter how much he stared at them, he couldn’t untangle the web of emotions that’d begun to muddle his thoughts from the moment he’d opened the note. 

There were still two possibilities. The first was that Chitose had given him this note as a thank you, but for some reason was too embarrassed to admit his thanks. That seemed unlikely at best. Chitose wasn’t one to feel shy about thanking people. That left only the second option, the one that had Vice’s pulse speeding up and his face turning red. Maybe, just maybe, Chitose was trying to--

“Hey, what y’got there?”

Vice jumped slightly at the sudden pressure on his back and the voice coming from behind him, the speaker hanging onto him and looking over his shoulder.

“Ch-Chitose?!”

Oh, no. Vice was pretty sure that this was not how things were supposed to go. He wasn’t near ready yet to face Chitose at all, and yet here he was, hanging onto him like nothing was wrong! As he stumbled over trying to say anything at all, Chitose peered at the notes and chocolates. 

“Wow, Vice, did you get a Valentine’s Day gift? That’s so sweet!” Chitose gushed in an overly fake tone. “I wonder who gave them to you? Do you know yet?”

“Uh... I...”  _ Chitose, you’re a terrible liar. _

“Ooh, so it’s a mystery, then?”

Vice wanted to scream. He had no clue what Chitose was trying to do. Did he seriously think it wasn’t painfully obvious that the gift had been from him? And why did he have to cling onto Vice like this?! It wasn’t the first time he’d done so, but now that Vice had been thinking of the possibility that maybe Chitose thought of him as more than a friend (Ilia save him), he was hyper aware of the warmth the other man was emanating. And he really was warm...

“I, uh, yeah, a mystery!” Vice stuttered, standing abruptly, hearing a little yelp from Chitose as he slid off him. “A mystery I really should be trying to solve so uh I’m gonna keep doing that, yeah.”

Chitose looped around the bench to peer at Vice with those wide eyes of his, a small smile upon his face. “Ooh, you seem super into this~ Want help?”

“ _ No _ .” Vice quickly backpedaled. “I mean, thanks, but no thanks, I’ll be fine on my own.”

Chitose, damn him, giggled, hiding his mouth behind his hand as he did. “Okaaaay, if you say so~ But if you need any help, just come find me! Or at the very least come find me when you know who it is, ‘kay?” He winked, and Vice was certain his heart would beat right out of his chest. And with a little wave, Chitose ran off, leaving the bewildered assassin alone with his out of control thoughts.

A moment passed before he sat back on the bench with a long, tired groan, holding his head in his hands.

What on earth had that been?! The gift was so very obviously from Chitose, and yet he’d acted like he had no clue about it! Granted, he was clearly lying, but why? Cleo had said that whoever sent the note might not be ready to admit their feelings, but Chitose seemed like he  _ wanted _ Vice to figure it out. So what was he thinking? Was it supposed to be some kind of test? Vice felt like he was being tested, like everything he thought he knew about himself was being thrown out the window. He didn’t think he’d even though of Chitose like... like  _ that _ . Romance was always something he’d never considered. It just didn’t go with his job. 

And yet, here he was, his heart pounding at the thought that maybe his friend thought of him as more than just a friend. Ilia save him, he was acting like a teenager. 

In the end, he’d have to turn Chitose down. The thought saddened him, but an assassin couldn’t afford to have such attachments. He’d heard the tales of those in his profession who lost themselves to love, only to have it used against them. He didn’t want that. Not for himself, and especially not for Chitose. 

_ Wait, why am I thinking of this as if I don’t  _ want _ to turn him down?! _

Since they’d first met, Chitose had become an unexpected, but welcome friend to Vice. They’d become closer after the incident with the kidnappings, and it was around then that Vice had really started to understand Chitose’s cuteness. He was loathe to admit it, but Chitose really was adorable. And not in the same way he thought puppies or kittens were cute. No, Chitose was  _ attractive _ cute.

_...Shit. _

His face went red again. That was definitely not a thought he’d had actively had before. It’d been there, lingering in his mind perhaps, but Vice hadn’t confronted it until this moment. This was news to him for a plethora of reasons, none of which the assassin was really ready to deal with, but it seemed he didn’t have a choice. 

He was undeniably attracted to Chitose and had been for a while.

And Chitose was attracted to him, too. Maybe. The jury was still out on that one. A part of Vice was still convinced that the gift might have just been a thank you gift, and that Chitose was just being cute when he’d signed it as from a secret admirer. The part of him that read it as a confession was becoming much louder though, now that he’d realized his own feelings. 

Vice groaned into his hands again. He had absolutely no clue what to do. 

First off, he needed to figure out once and for all the meaning behind the gift. If he came to the conclusion that it was a confession, then he’d figure it out from there. If it was just a gift with friendly intentions, then he’d just push his emotions down like always and pretend everything was fine. He’d get over it eventually. Probably.

Before he could spiral into a mad rush of thoughts again, Vice stood from the bench. The sooner he figured this out, the better. What he needed was a second opinion, preferably from someone more experienced with this sort of thing. There were definitely people in the Halidom he could ask. With that goal in mind, Vice began his mission.

\---

The first person that came to mind was Orion. 

Vice hadn’t spoken much with the Sylvan, but from what he’d heard, he was absolutely obsessed with Valentine’s day and all things romance related. His opinion on the matter would hopefully be helpful.

Vice found Orion decorating the halls of the Halidom with what was possibly too many roses. The Sylvan had positively lit up when Vice explained the note. “A box of chocolates with a note from a secret admirer? How absolutely romantic! You lucky man~ What I wouldn’t give to receive such a gift on a day like this!” Vice grumbled as Orion winked at him, nudging him playfully with his elbow. “So, do you know who it is from? Or are you still piecing together the puzzle?”

Feeling suddenly as if this had been a bad idea, Vice ignored Orion’s questions. “I just wanted your opinion on all this... on whether or not you think it’s really a-- a love confession, or if it could be just a thank you from a friend.”

“Why with a gift like that, it cannot be anything but a confession of undying love!” Orion beamed. “Your secret admirer clearly wished to make their feelings known to you, and what better way than with a gift of chocolates given on Valentine’s? Ah! My heart flutters just thinking of it!”

Ignoring the impulse to hide his face in his hands, Vice sighed. “Okay... duly noted...”

Not wanting to become further embarrassed, Vice bid Orion goodbye and set off to find further advice. It wasn’t that Orion’s insight hadn’t been helpful, but he couldn’t help but think the Sylvan might be... a little bit biased. It was probably a good idea to get the opinion of someone who wasn’t so love obsessed as well.

But who to ask next? 

Vice wasn’t sure who he knew that would be knowledgeable in this sort of thing. Jurota definitely wouldn’t know, and while Aoi had been in that wedding competition during the summer, he really doubted she knew anything about love and just wanted to show off. As he went through names, he scarcely noticed the person approaching him with a light wave.

“Afternoon, Vice. Something eating you?”

Surprised, Vice looked up. “Oh-- Addis. Hey.” He paused, giving him a once over. “Fancy outfit. You got a date or something?”

Addis, to Vice’s surprise, flushed and looked away as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Ah... something like that. Lord Ieyasu picked out the outfit for me, though.”

“Looks nice.” A date, huh? Vice hesitated, glancing down at the box of chocolates he still held in his hand. “...Hey, if someone gave you a box of chocolates on Valentine’s Day, how would you take it..?”

“Valentine’s chocolates, huh?” Addis raised a brow, looking surprised. “Well, in Hinomoto, it’s traditional for a girl to give the boy she likes chocolates on Valentine’s as a way to express her feelings for him. I think it’s the same in Grastea, but I can’t say for sure. So I guess, depending on who gave it to me, I’d guess it to be a love confession.”

“You guess...?”

“Oh. Well, you can give chocolates to anyone you want, really. Friends, family, coworkers. There’s no rule saying it has to be romantic. I guess context would be an important clue.” He gave Vice a curious look. “What, did you get some?”

Vice’s cheeks flushed again. “Uh... yeah. The gifter left it in my room with a note. Here...” He handed Addis the note. The Hinomotan read it, then looked at Vice with an almost amused expression.

“This is from Chitose, right?”

“Agh, it’s so obvious, isn’t it?!” Vice groaned, running a hand through his hair. 

“Mmhm. I don’t know him well, but his handwriting is unmistakable. The heart dotted i’s really give him away.” Addis handed the note back to Vice. “Well, either way, from the note, it does seem like it’s meant to be more romantic in nature. Like I said, I don’t know Chitose entirely well, but from what I do know of him, he’s the sort to be upfront about thanks like this. If you’re still not sure though, why not just ask him? He’s probably waiting for you to say something.”

“He’s definitely waiting,” Vice grumbled. “I saw him earlier and he acted like he had no idea who sent it and told me to tell him if I figured it out.”

Addis laughed heartily. “Well, if you want advice from someone as inexperienced with romance as I am, then I say you should definitely speak with him about this. It’s the fastest way for you to get the answers you need.”

That... was certainly logical. And Vice had spent so many moments this day trying to convince himself to think only with logic and reason. Sighing, he nodded. “...You’re right. I’ll-- I’ll go find him. Thanks for your help.”

Smiling kindly, Addis gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder, wished him good luck, and went on his way.

And so, Vice was left on his own again, with one very important, very daunting mission: find Chitose and ask him once and for all what this was all about.

First step; find Chitose.

Hours later, after Vice had scoured every inch of the Halidom, the first step had yet to be completed, and he was ready to tear his hair out in frustration. Just where had that cutesy idiot gone?! Chitose always seemed to pop up when he was least expecting it, and yet now that he was actively looking for him, he was nowhere to be seen. He’d checked everywhere, from the courtyard to the kitchen, and somehow he’d seen no sign of the pink haired Hinomotan anywhere. With a groan, Vice sat down on a bench in the garden for the second time that day.

There had to be somewhere he was forgetting. Someplace that Chitose would be... He was certain he’d checked all of their usual spots, but... 

A thought came to him suddenly, and Vice stood up with a jolt. Of course...! There was one place he’d forgotten, and knowing Chitose, that was probably where he was. Without wasting another moment, he rushed back into the Halidom.

Travelling at a speed he usually reserved for hasty retreats, Vice ran through the halls, ignoring any who glanced at him as he passed, until finally, he reached his destination. Halfway between his room and Chitose’s was a balcony. They spoke often there, on clear nights when they simply wished to talk. If Chitose was anywhere, it had to be here.

Through the glass of the double doors, Vice could see a familiar outline standing at the balcony rails, looking up at the night sky. He gulped. His hand hovered over the doorknob. The assassin had faced down countless foes, ended numerous lives, and yet now, faced with a love note on Valentine’s, he was practically shaking. Slowly, Vice took in a slow breath, and before he could get more nervous, pushed open the door and stepped into the night air.

Upon hearing him step out onto the balcony, Chitose turned, one of his signature bright smiles upon his face. “Oh, Vice! Good evening!” Silhouetted by the light of the moon, Vice had to admit that Chitose was absolutely stunning. The thought brought a blush to his cheeks for what felt like the hundredth time that day as he joined his friend at the railing.

“Uh... yeah. Good evening.” Vice breathed in once more. There was no reason to hesitate now. “So, um... about that gift I got--”

“Oh! Did you figure out who it’s from?” Chitose interrupted cheerily. “You gotta tell me!”

“...Chitose.”

“Yeah?”

“...You do realize no one else here dots their i’s with hearts, right?”

There was a long pause, and then, as if he’d needed a moment to process what had been said to him, Chitose suddenly went red and quickly covered his face with his hands. “Ohhhhhhhh my gosh. You’ve known this whole time, haven’t you?”

Vice nodded solemnly. “I knew right away.”

There was a high pitched sound of distress from behind Chitose’s hands. “Ahh that’s so embarrassing...! Why didn’t you say something before?!”

It was Vice’s turn now to go red, and he averted his gaze. “I-- I don’t know. You caught me off guard, pretending you had no idea who it was from. And I was... I was still figuring stuff out.”

Ever so slightly, Chitose lowered his hands, just enough to peek out from behind the sleeves of his kimono. “...Stuff?”

“Y-Yeah. Stuff.” There was no going back now. “I... I don’t know a lot about Valentine’s. It’s not been something I’ve ever cared about before. So I wasn’t sure if your gift was just a thank you, or if it was, well... y’know. A-- A love note.”

“O-Oh. And... what did you decide...?”

When Vice looked back, there was an almost hopeful look in Chitose’s eyes. He quickly looked away again. “Well, you know me. I always follow logic and reason. So, eventually I decided that the most reasonable and logical thing to do was to just... ask you myself.” Steeling his nerves, Vice turned his gaze back to Chitose again in order to look him in the eyes. His very pretty eyes. “So, uh... I guess what I’m saying is... this gift... are you just thanking me for those times I saved your life...? Or is it... more than that?”

Lowering his hands entirely, Chitose turned to look out over the Halidom’s grounds, pausing a moment before finally speaking. “Ah... well... it’s both, really.”

Vice frowned slightly. “Both?”

Chitose nodded. “Yeah. I wanted to thank you for all you’ve done to help me. Without you, I’d probably have died like, three times.” He laughed at his own morbid joke. “But, I... I also wanted to tell you how I feel. You’re just-- so cool! And kind, and you’re one of the only people who spends time with me regardless of my cuteness. I mean, I know I _ am _ super cute and it’s great to be fawned over and all, but it’s nice to have someone who sees me as a person, and not as just some cute mascot. I’ve gotten lots of love confessions and marriage proposals before, but they were all either obsessed fans or people who thought I was Lady Mitsuhide.” He laughed sheepishly, glancing over at Vice. “Sorry. I... I’m doing my best, but I don’t know how to fully explain my own feelings towards you. I just... know that they’re there. And I wanted to tell you somehow, in a way that would be easy for you to dismiss if you wanted. I know how you are with logic and reasons and assassin stuff. I understand if you don’t want to give me an answer.”

There was a slight silence before Chitose continued. “If-- If you’re not sure, you can always wait to let me know! In Hinomoto, we actually have something called White Day that happens a month after Valentine’s, where men who get gifts are expected to give gifts in return to those who gave them to them. If you want, I can wait until then for your answer, and-- and if you don’t give me anything, then I’ll know that you don’t--”

“Chitose.” 

Chitose squeaked, surprised by the interruption. “Y-Yes?”

“...I have several things to say, so be quiet until I’m done, okay?” Vice gave Chitose a pointed look until the other man nodded before continuing. “First off. I’m not going to make you wait a month for an answer. That’s unnecessary and cruel, plus it’d just make things awkward until then. Second, I have to apologize.”

“Apologize...?” 

Vice wanted to roll his eyes at the kicked puppy dog look on Chitose’s face. “I’m not done! I’m apologizing because...” He paused, taking a breath. “...because I’ve secretly thought you were the cutest person I know for ages now.”

Chitose’s face went red. “Eh?? What--”

“Let me finish.” Vice could feel his own face heating up as well as he spoke. “At first, I seriously didn’t care how cute you are. That’s just not how I work. If I let myself get caught up in something like that, I’d be a failure as an assassin. But at some point, I started to notice. When you saved that girl from those criminals, I-- I couldn’t help but cheer you on. You were just... You managed to be both cute and cool at the same time, and eventually I began to notice more and more things about you. You’re kind, you help out everyone you can. You’re smart, you’re strong, and of course you’re cute. I think though that I... I managed to convince myself that it didn’t matter what I thought about you. I’m an assassin. I can’t live by my feelings. But today, when you gave me that gift, I-- I was forced to think about you in more than just friendly terms. And when I did, I realized that... maybe I wasn’t so against it, after all.”

By the time he was done speaking, Vice was sure he was a bright shade of red, and he could scarcely make eye contact any longer. Chitose looked flustered as well, as if he hadn’t expected this response. “You’re... not against it? So, you mean...”

“D-Don’t get the wrong idea!” Vice hastily added. “I still don’t know if I should accept your feelings or not. I’m an assassin after all. If you were with me, in a-- in a romantic way, it’d be dangerous. I’ve got plenty of enemies, plus all the blood on my hands, I couldn’t promise that you wouldn’t get targeted by anyone.”

Something about his words caused Chitose to frown. Vice frowned back, hoping he hadn’t said something wrong. “I’ve thought about that!” he huffed. “You said I’m strong, right? So, if something happens, I’ll protect myself! And, if it’s a really strong enemy, I know you’ll come rescue me like you always do.” The smile Chitose gave him was shy and caused Vice to feel as if his heart had skipped a beat. 

“Um... well-- yeah, of course I would. But-- what about Lady Mitsuhide? Won’t she object to her retainer dating an actual assassin?” (Oh god he’d said dating.)

Chitose rolled his eyes. “Lady Mitsuhide will be fine with it. In fact, I ended up making this gift for you at her suggestion.”

“You-- You did?”

“Yeah, she said she was tired of me looking all lovestruck and said if I didn’t do something about it on my own, she’d tell you herself.” Chitose laughed, looking shy again. “So, uh... I did.” 

A pause. “...So, you’re okay with me being an assassin and you understand the danger.”

“Yup.”

“And Lady Mitsuhide won’t come and kill me in the middle of the night for stealing her retainer or something stupid like that?”

“Probably not.”

Vice groaned, leaning onto the balcony railing. “You’re destroying all the reasons I had to turn you down, dammit...”

Beside him, Chitose had the audacity to giggle at his strife. “You wanted me to give you a reason?”

“Yes-- well, no-- I mean--” Vice groaned again. “I just... I seriously hadn’t thought about you like-- like this, like someone I was... interested in, until today. Okay, well, maybe I’d thought about it before, but it wasn’t something I’d ever seriously considered. There’s the whole assassin thing, plus I thought you were way out of my league, so I just... pushed the thought away. But then you had to go and give me that note and suddenly I’m presented with the possibility that you might actually like me, and I just--” He trailed off with a sigh. “...I’m just confused. It all feels like this is happening to me really fast.”

Silence fell between them for a moment, until Chitose replied, voice soft and gentle. “...We could take things slow, if you wanted. If you wanted to be with me, I mean.”

Vice lifted his head up, giving Chitose a small frown. “Take things slow? You realize how cheesy that sounds, right?”

“I know, I know! But I’m serious. If you’re overwhelmed, we can just... keep being how we are now, but... with extra stuff. Like... holding hands, maybe...?” Chitose blushed at his own suggestion. Vice knew he was blushing, too.

“Hold hands...?”

“Yeah-- You know how, right?”

Vice rolled his eyes. “I’m not an idiot.”

“Just kidding~” A pause. “...So, do you... wanna try?”

“...Try what?”

“Holding hands.”

“Oh.” Duh. Vice felt his face begin to heat up again. “Um... yeah. Sure.” Looking both excited and nervous, Chitose held out his hand to him. Vice hesitated, then, carefully, as if he might break him, he took his hand.

As they laced their fingers together, the first thing Vice thought was that Chitose’s hands were soft. He’d always figured they were, but to feel them now was better than simply imagining. His hands were small, too. Ilia save him, he was going to pass out from happiness.

They stood in silence, hand in hand, Vice bright red, Chitose red as well, but with a pleased smile upon his face. Unable to stand the quiet, Vice spoke the first thing that came to mind. “The-- The moon sure is beautiful tonight, huh.”

“Huh?” He glanced at Chitose, only to find him staring at him with a surprised look.

“...W-What? Did I say something wrong?”

“No, it’s just...” Chitose fumbled over his next words. “You know, in Hinomoto, we have a saying that translates to that. ‘The moon is beautiful.’ It’s a metaphor. It-- It means ‘I love you.’” 

If it were possible, Vice’s face would have gotten even redder. Chitose giggled and looked away, peering up at the night sky. “...The moon really is beautiful tonight, though.”

Without thinking, Vice replied. “Not as beautiful as you, though.”

“Eh?!” Chitose lightly punched Vice in the shoulder with an embarrassed laugh. “Now look who’s being cheesy!” He turned away, a small smile upon his face. “...Do you... seriously think I’m beautiful...? Not just cute?”

Despite how shocked he was at his own thoughtless response, Vice answered with sincerity in his voice. “I do. You’re gorgeous. The most beautiful person I’ve ever known.” 

Chitose gazed shyly at him with a smile that Vice was certain would be the death of him one day. “For someone who wasn’t sure about romance a few minutes ago, you sure do know how to make a guy blush, huh?”

“Sh-Shut up!”

Chitose giggled, then, time seemed to slow as he leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss upon Vice’s cheek. For a moment, it was as if Vice’s entire soul had evacuated his body, unable to handle what had happened. 

“What-- What was that for?!” he stammered.

There was that shy smile again. “It’s a thank you. For giving me a chance, even when you were so anxious about being in a relationship. It... It really means a lot. I’m happier than I’ve ever been, so... thank you.”

Damn it all. How had he ever thought he wasn’t head over heels for this man? Vice had tried so hard to pretend he thought nothing of Chitose other than that he was a friend, but looking at him now, standing under the light of the moon, all he could feel was the rapid beating of his heart and a swelling feeling his chest that made him feel almost light headed. 

_...Oh, fuck it. _

Before he could stop himself, Vice let go of Chitose’s hand, cupped his cheeks in his hands, and leaned in to kiss Chitose on the lips. 

There was the sound of a surprised squeak from Chitose, and Vice almost pulled away, worrying he’d startled him, but suddenly there were arms around his neck and Chitose was kissing him back. For several moments, Vice closed his eyes. Chitose’s lips were soft, like his hands, and warm. It wasn’t an amazing kiss, Vice had no clue what he was doing, but that was fine. If he could stay like this forever, he would. 

It was Chitose who pulled away first, gazing up at him through fluttering lashes with the smile that caused Vice’s heart to skip a beat every time he saw it. “...I guess it’s official, then?”

Once again, Vice turned red. “Of-- Of course it is...! Just-- shut up already, you’re going to drive me crazy.”

Chitose laughed, and even as he scowled at him, Vice’s entire being felt light. He really was lucky, wasn’t he? He’d have to thank Chitose later for giving him those chocolates and that note. Without them, he probably would have never thought to pursue any feelings he had for his friend. But for now...

Vice leaned in once more, and this time, Chitose closed the gap between them, smiling into the kiss. They parted only for a moment soon after, soft words on Vice’s lips.

“...Be my Valentine?”

Chitose giggled and kissed him again. 

“I thought you’d never ask.”


End file.
